Dujiangyan Irrigation System

The Dujiangyan irrigation system on the Min river is one of the
oldest irrigation systems still in operation. The project began
in 256 BC when Li Bing and his son, Er Lang, diverted the river into a man-made
channel and constructed a system to control flooding and remove silt.
It was put on the
World Heritage List in 2000.

Dujiangyan has three major parts:

The Fishmouth Pier (yuzui)

Feishayan Weir (feishayan)

Mouth of the Precious Jar (baoping kou)

The river is
split into two parts as it enters the Fishmouth pier, a
long and narrow dike built in the shape of a fish mouth in order to
receive the least water resistance. The Feishayan weir drains the
flood water and takes away sediment deposits. Workers using only hand
tools cut a trunk canal, called the Mouth of the Precious Jar through
a towering mountain in order to feed an extensive system of canals on
the plains, thereby turning the Chengdu plains into one of the most
fertile in China. During the flood season, 40 percent of river's flow
goes through the Mouth of the Precious jar to irrigate the Chengdu plain,
but 80 percent of the silt is carried away in the outer river.

The Anlan bridge crosses the river near the upstream end of Fishmouth
Pier. It is suspended by woven bamboo cables (now reinforced with
steel). It was formerly called the Fuqi Bridge (Husband and Wife
Bridge) because it was built by a devoted couple and it is held
together by locks that symbolize the pair's never-ending devotion.

There is a large park area around Dujiangyan with various temples and
pavilions sprinkled through the forest and gardens. Erwang Temple (two
kings temple) was built as a tribute to Li Bing and his son.
The oldest tree in China dating back to the Yin Shang dynasty (1700-1100 BC)
is also in the park.

A bird's-eye-view of the whole system can be found by climbing up the
five-story high Qin Yen Lou. Mao, Deng, and Jiang Zemin have all taken
in the view from its upper platform.